Romanian Simona Halep lifted a trophy for the first time in four finals, beating German wildcard Andrea Petkovic in the final of the Nurnberger Versicherungscup, a new WTA tournament, the last stop on dirt before the grass completely takes over the tennis world.
The seventh-seeded Halep won her first three matches in straight sets, against Grace Min, Estrella Cabeza Candela and Galina Voskoboeva, but in the semifinals against fifth seed Lucie Safarova she lost the second set at love before cruising through the decider. In the title match, the 58th-ranked Halep fought off two break points in the last game before beating the resurgent Petkovic 6-3 6-3. Petkovic eliminated top seed Jelena Jankovic in the semis and enjoyed her best WTA tournament in over 20 months, after a series of injuries. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)
Congratulations Simona 🙂
I wanted Petko to win so it would be a perfect comeback for her. But in the other hand, Halep played well and I’m also happy for her that she finally won a title after those finals. Carla Suarez Navarro is still in that situation, having been to four or five finals and never has won.
I’m a Jelena Jankovic fan, but somehow, I KNEW Halep would win the tournament. She’s been playing well and I’m happy for her. Congratulations!